Package-transferring machine



Jul 22, 1924.

1,502,201 M. JAEGER PACKAGE IWisFERRING MACHINE Filed May 26 1920' 5 Sheets- Sheet 1 July 22, 1924.

M. JAEGER PACKAGE TRANSFER-RING MACHINE F l y 26 192 0- 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 'wuewto z Wu" Jize ger M. JAEGER PACKAGE TRANSFERRING MACHINE Filed May 25,- 1920 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 SI wuawto t Jilr Jaqyez @51 am am Jul 22, 1924.-

juiy 22, 1924;

' M. JAEGER PACKAGE TRANSFERRING MACHINE Filed 1920' 5 Sheets-Sheet 5140mm Jim- Jagyez L: y I M. JAEGER PACKAGE TRANSFERRING MACHINE Filed ma 1920 '5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented July 22, 1924.

1,502,201 PATENT OFFICE,

MAX JAEGER, O'F LONG ISLAND CITY, NEW YORK, ASSIGN'OR TO ANCHOR CAP & CLOSURE CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW'YORK.

PACKAGE-TRANSFERRING MACHDN'E.

Application filed May 26, 1920. Serial No. 384,305.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAX JAEGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Long Island City, in the borough of Queens, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Package-Transfer ring Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention pertains generally to the packing or packaging art, and has to. do specifically with certain improvements in mechanism to be employed in the'packing and sealing of containers such as are commonly utilized for packaging foodstuff and the like.

It resides in the provision of a new. and advantageous mechanism designed for association in common with a machine for filling vessels and a machine for sealing them, in such fashion that such machines are brought into coordinated cooperation, and may be so operated continuously and without the necessity for intelligent control.

The general object of the invention is to provide an improved mechanism for automatically handling and transferring filled vessels or containers, such as tumblers, jars, cans and the like, from a filling machine to scaling position in a sealing machine, and moving them from the sealing position to a suitable removing device, upon the sealing operation hav'n'g been effected.

One of the objects which the present invention is to accomplish is the provision of an automatically operating machine which is adapted to receive filled vessels from fill ing machines of types now commonly in use, and deliver them to sealing machines of types also now commonly in use, effecting a c ange in the rate or period of delivery of the vessels such as may be necessary to compensate for the difierence in rate of opera tion between the filling and the sealing machines.

A further object of the invention is the provision of such a mechanism which is designed to accomplish a gradual acceleration in the rate of travel of the filled vessel from the time it leaves the filling machine, such as to properly position it relative to preceding vessels, with respect to the periodicity of the sealing machine, and to produce such acceleration without subjecting the vessels to such handling as will spill or splash out their liquid contents.

A further object of the invention is the plate the provision of a machine havin the characteristics above specified, which 1s of such strong and simple construction and such accurate and preclse operation as to insure its proper performance under all conditions commonly encountered in the industry, to insure its longevity, to facilitate its being kept clean and in repair, and to obviate the necessity for specially traified or skilled operators.

Other and further objects of the invention will be obvious upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described, or will be obvious from the accompanying drawings, or indicated in'the appended claims; and various advantages secured by the invention, other than those hereinafter specifically referred to, will occur to one skilled in the art or become evident upon the employment of the invention in practice.

In the drawings Fi ure 1 illustrates a top or plan view of an em odiment of the invention, showing it in association with certain elements of a filling machine, a cap assembling machine, and a sealing machine;

Figure 2 is a top or plan view of a portion of the mechanism illustrated at the righthand end of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an elevational view of the same portion shown in section along line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Figure 4 is a detail in the nature of a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a plan or top view of a portion of the mechanism shown at the left-hand end of Figure 1; and

Figure 6 is a front sectional elevation of the same portion of the mechanism, but with certain parts in altered positions.

Described generally, the invention comprises an arrangement of a turn table or distributing device containing pockets adapted to cooperate with a filling machine to receive 6 vessels therefrom at the intervals determined .by. the operation of said filling machine,

together with a conveyor associated with said turn table and cooperating therewith to produce an acceleration in the rate of move- 1 ment of the vessels over their rate of movement in the filling machine, so that the interval between them is increased; and an interval determining device cooperating with the said accelerating mechanism in such fashion as toestablish the transmission of the vessels at definite intervals, andfa handling mechanism associated with the interval determining meansand with a sealing device whereby the vessels are moved successively from the control of the former into the control of. the latter, and from the latter to a suitable removing mechanism; the movement of each container "throughout being 'continuous and substantially in a straight line.

The specific'description of the illustrative embodiment will be understood by reference to the'identifying characters applied to the accompanying drawings, in which the letter G designates generally a filling machine of well known type, the letter S designates generally the package transfer mechanism, and the letter B designates generallycertain elements of a sealin machine of a well 5 known kind. It will be machine is in the form of an endless belt or platform on which are supported guiding seats or pockets G adapted for the reception 4 0 and retention of vessels or containers while they are being conveyed to the filling noz zles, being filled thereby, and being conveyed away therefrom, the direction of movement of the turn table 5-be-ing in counter clock- 7 wise direction. The sealing machine 'in cludes a platform B and cooperating understood that the. contalner conveying portion of the filling surface of the table 1, and adjusting'means mechanism operating intermittently to se-- cure a closure or a cap upon a vessel positioned on the platform. .Tlie transferring mechanism includes a table 1 which extends into association with the platform '13 and with the conveyor of the filling machine. This table has marginal guides 2 adjustable toward and from its median line for the accommodation of vessels of different diameters by means of adjustable arms on which the guides are mounted. A housing 4 forms a su port forthe, table 1 and for associated mec anism, including a distributing device 0 the nature of the turn table 5, mounted in the housing to rotate on a vertical axi above the table 1,'at the end designed for assoc ation with the conveyor of the filling ,machine. This turn table is driven through 05 a train of gearing 6 actuated from-a sprocket 5" operating through slots 5?, so that the pockets 8 may engage properly the vessels on seats C. Supported in the housing 4 on horizontal axes are pairs of flanged sheaves or pulleys 9 carrying-belts 10 ,which they transmit longitudinally of the table 1, and which belts comprise an accelerating device as is hereinafter explained. The positions of the pulleys 9 are such as to bring the upper surfaces of the belts 10, in their upper stage, substantially flush with the upper whereby they may be so positioned is provided in the guide plates 11. (See Figure 4.) These guide plates constitute, in eflect, depressed portions of the table mounted on trunnions 11 which are carried eccentrically on rotatable spindles 14. By this arrangement the elevation of the plates 11 may be varied so that the upper surface of the belts 10 maybe disposed at the desired level relative to the upper surface of the table 1. Between the belts the plates carry upstanding longitudinal marginal guide members '15 of substantially the thickness of the belts, said guide members 15 being spaced apart to provide a narrow slot which isaligned with a slot 1 extending longitudinally of the table 1. This slot is for the accommodation of the flights or lugs 16 carried by a spac- C ing conveyor chain 17 which is transmitted on the sprocket wheels 7 and 18 operating on horizontal axes in the housing 4, and comprises spacing means for the packages. The sprocket 18 iscarried on a shaft 19 which is rotated through a beveled gear 20 by a shaft 21 mounted vertically in the frame of thesealing machine B, and such actuation of the sprocket 18 serves to drive the sprocket 7 and, through the gear train 22, 23' and 24, to rotate the righthand pulleys. 9 and transmit the belts 10 as above 1 described. The disposal of the, belts 10 is such that they move below a portion of the orbit of the pockets 8, so that 'the pockets and the belts progress in the same direction.

at the point where the pockets first move to 1 QP SitiOD over the belts,'and the table 1 and marginal guides 2 are deflected toconform to the orbit of theturn table. At the point of deflection of" the marginal guide, an'adjustable portion 2 is inserted, its position being controlled by suitable means 25. The extremity 2 of the marginal guide is adapted to engage vessels'transmitted on the seats C', and. deflect.- them there-outofand into the orbit of the pockets 8. It will be 0bspeed of the turn table 5, which served that the rearward walls of the pockets 8 are abrupt and conform to the general contour of the vessels, so that they transmit definite motion to the vessels upon rotation of the turn-table, but that the forward margins of said pockets are involuted so that the vessels may ride along them and out of the pockets.

Inasmuch as the operation of filling the vessels goes on continuously while they are transmitted through a certain zone in the filling machine, they may be transmitted at much closer intervals than are feasible in presenting them to the sealing machine, wherein each vessel must be handled individually, the air exhausted from it, the closure sealed on it hermetically, and the vessel removed from the sealing platform before another can be positioned. Inasmuch as a stopping or slackening of the progressive movement of the vessel after it has been filled increases 'thedanger of its liquid contents being spilled or splashed out, it is highly desirable that the movement of the vessel be continuous and in a substantially straight line and without material or sudden impulses or changes in speed. However, the fact that the sealing machine may require, for illustration, an interval of 12 inches between vessels, while the filling machine requires an interval of but 4' inches, it is-obviousthat the progress of each vessel must be accelerated materially between the time it leaves,

the filling machine and the time it reaches the sealing platform. The interval at which the successive vessels are delivered to the sealing'machine is established in the first instance by the chain 17 It being timed substantially accurately with respect tothe seal ing machine, and its linear speed being considerably higher than the peripheral is properly timed with respect to the filling machine, it results that the speed of the vessels must vbe accelerated between the two. The acceleration in the movement of the vessels is accomplished through the cooperation of the belts 10 with the turn table 5 and withthe chain 17. It occurs in this fashion: The belts 10 are transmitted at the same speed as the chain 17, which is materially faster than the movement of the turn table 5. As the vessels are moved successivelyinto cooperation with the deflecting guide 2 by the movement of the conveyor of the filling machin'e,.their movement will be accelerated because of the fact that they. are transmitted away from the center on which the conveyor turns at that point. This acceleration obviously will be gradual so that, when the vessel comes into the orbit of one of the pockets 8, then moving on alonger radius and consequently at a greater peripheral speed than the conveyor of the filling machine, it will be picked up at this accelerated speed and transmitted at an increased speedto a point where it moves onto the portions of the belts 10 projecting below the orbit of the pockets. The movement of the vessel onto the belts will, of course, be gradual, the tendency of the belts to increase its speed becoming more effective as the area of contact between the bottom of the vessel and the belts increases. This accelerating influence of the belts is effective in the same direction as the movement of the turn table, and tends to cause the vessel to ride ahead of the back wall of the pocket along the involute forward wall thereof until, at a time determined by the adjustment of the memher 2, the vessel is freed of the restraint of the cooperating pocket and marginal guide,

and is carried forward out of the pocket by the movement of the belts. By properly timing the turn table 5 and the belts 10 with the chain 17 through the gearings 6 and 22, each vessel will be deposited on the belts in advance of a flight 16, and when the vessel denly retard the vessel, permits the ad j acently following flight 16 to catch up with it and engage it while it is still moving forward, and assume control of it for the con tinuation of the transfer operation. At a point designated by the dotted diagram 26, a cap assembling mechanism may be rendered effective upon the vessel to place a-cap or closure upon it preparatory to the operation of the sealing machine thereon. fords a certain amount of safeguard against spilling of the contents ing handling of the vessel. This cap-placing operation having been effected without changing the acceleration of the vessel, it is moved continuously forward in a straight line and uniform speed to the point at which it is removed from the control of the spacing chain'to be positioned on the platform B.

As a means for accomplishing this trans- This afduring the succeedturret 30 which comprises positioning means (see Figures 5 and 6) is mounted/for operation adjacent the sprocket 18, being removably affixed to a hub 31 which is keyed to the upper end of a shaft 32 mounted in bearings 34 of a housing 35 which forms a continuation of the housing 4. The attachment of the turret to the hub is by manipulative means 36 whereby the rotary position of the two may be varied. Shaft 32 carries a helical gear 37 through which said shaft and turret 30 are rotated from gear 38 carried on a horizontally extending jack shaft 39. The

. position.

whereas the former are rotatable on their bosses so that they may swing to a position in which they extend radially from the turret or swing back to a substantially tangent This may. be done' conveniently by mounting them on spindles 47 rotatably mounted in the bosses, said spindles carrying at their lower extremities controller arms 48 in which are mounted rollers'49. Traction springs 50 tend to urge the flights 44 to their tangential position, and. their position is controlled by said springs and by a cam 51 rotatably mounted on the sleeve 52 on shaft'32. Upon rotation of the turret the edge of the cam is adapted to engage the rollers 49 and swing the arms 44 to their radial position, maintaining them in that position through a certain extent of the rotation of the turret. The position of the active portion of the cam may be varied through adjustment thereof rotatably on the sleeve 52, such adjustment being accomplished through the instrumentality of the arm 54 foo which extends forwardly adjacent a front opening in the housing 35, and is adjustably secured to a bracket 56 by means of a clamping screw 57 The disposal of the turret and the extent of the flights 44 and 45 are such that the latter include in their orbit, when radially extended, portions of the table over the sprocket '18, the platform B, and the terminus of the conveyor 58, which is disposed on the side of the platform B opposite the sprocket 18. This conveyor is driven from shaft 39'through gears 59 and 60. The direction of rotation of the turret 30 is such that the flights are moved first across the sprocket 18, then across the platform B and finally across the conveyor 58. The articulation of the turret with the chain 17 is such that the successive positioning flights -44 cross the sprocket 18 substantially in register with the successive spacing flights 16 of the chain. As aresult, a vessel conveyed into the zone of operation of a flight 44 by chain 17 will be picked up by the flight at the same speed that it it is transmitted by the chain, and moved to a position on the platform B. As governed by the position of the cam 51, when the vessel has reached the intended position, the flight which has propelled it thus far will be released from the control of the cam and quickly'retracted by its spring 50, leaving the vessel in position progressively sealed, and moves it onto the conveyor 58 by which the vessel is carried forward to any intended point of disposal, such as a washer, labeling machine, or the like. During the time that the vessel ison the platform B the succeeding vessel is being continuously advanced by the chain, engaged by the next positioning flight 44, and is placed on the platform thereby, after the removal of the preceding sealed vessel, in the manner as just described. Theadjustment of the cam 51 permits the operation of the device being accommodated to vessels of different diameters, so that the centering of the vessels on the platform B relative to the sealing dies, is always assured.

It will be observed, therefore, that this invention provides a machine which is operable continuously and automatically to transport filled vessels through a plurality of operations, changing their spacing and rate of travel to accommodate the periodicity of different machines, without subjecting .them to sudden changes in acceleration or position such as would tend to splash out their contents; that the mechanism so provided is adapted to handle vessels accurately and safely at high rate of speed, and without requiring oversight or special training for its operation.

Having thus I claim is:

described my inventiomwhat combination of an accelerating device effective upon successive packages to move them progressively at accelerating speed, spacing means cooperating with the accelerating device for placing the packages at de nite space intervals and effective to move them in a substantially straight line at a constant speed, and positioning mechanism operable to take successive packages from the spacing means while in motion and move them severally at a constantspeed to a definite position of rest.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination of. an accelerating device effectiveupon successive packages to move them at accelerating speed, spacing means cooperating with the accelerating device for placing the packages at de nlte space intervals and effective to move them in a substantially straight line at a constant speed, positioning mechanism operable to take successive packages from the spacing means while in motion and move them severally at a constant speed to a definite position of rest, and means for operating said elements continuously on a series of packages ' thereon.-

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a package distributing device operable to move packages substantially along the arc of a circle and todistribute packages successively, a package conveying device cooperating therewith to move packages in a substantially straight line in succession and accelerate their rate of travel to increase their interval, spacing means co operating with the conveying device for spacing themoving packages at definite intervals, and positioning mechanism operable to take successive packages from the spacing means and move them at a constant speed to a definite position of rest; said distributing device, conveying device, spacing means and positioning mechanism being efiectiveseriatim upon a package while it is in motion.

4. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a distributing device effective to move packages at definite intervals,

a positioning device operable upon successive packages at greater intervals, and accelerating and spacing mechanism operating along a substantially straight path between the distributing and positioning devices for accelerating the rate of travel of packages delivered by the former and positioning them at increased definite intervals.

5. In a machine of the class described, the 1 combination of a distributing device and an accelerating device arranged for cooperation to move packages progressively, said accelerating device being arranged to frictionally engage packages with a gradually increasing surface contact and operating at a higher progressive speed than the distributing device.

6. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a distributing device and an accelerating device movable on different axes and arranged for cooperation to move packages progressively, said accelerating device being arranged to frictionally engage packages with an increasing surface contact to gradually increase their speed and operating at a higher progressive speed than the distributing device.

7. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a package distributing device effective to move packages at definite intervals, and a package accelerating device comprising a belt cooperating therewith and effective to move packages relative thereto to increase their rate of travel, said acceler ating device being constructed to permit slip between a package and its portions effective 8. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a package distributing device comprising a pocketed turn table effective to engage packages at definite intervals, and a package accelerating devlce -compr1s1ng a carrying belt co0perat1ng-therew1th and efl ective to move packages relative thereto to increase their rate of travel, the distributing device being operable to move packages to the operation of the accelerating device which is constructed to permit slipbetween a package and its portions eflective thereon.

9. In a machine of the class described, the combination of means for continuously advancing packages at definite intervals, spacing means cooperating with said advancing means, a constantly rotating turret associated therewith, flights carried by the turret, and timed to cooperate with thespacing means to engage and move packages presented by the latter, and means for operating the flights at definite intervals to move them out of cooperation with packages.

10. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a table arranged to permit the movement of packages thereon in a series, means effective to advance packages continuously thereon at definite intervals, and to space said packages, a rotating turret associated with the table, flights carried by the turret and movable above the table into association with the spacing means to engage and move packages presented thereby, and means he ow the table for operating the flights at definite intervals to render them ineffective upon packages.

11. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a table arranged to per-. mit the progressive movement of packages thereon in-a series, of a rotary distributing device, an accelerating device, a positioning device, and a spacing means adapted to move said packages fromsaid accelerating device to said positioning device along a substantially straight path, said distributing device and said accelerating device cooperating to advance said packages and accelerate their speed.

12. In a machine of the class described, l

the combination of a turn-table having spacing members arranged to engage packages for moving them, a belt arranged to have frictional engagement with packages moved by the turn-table, means operating said belt at a higher progressive speed than the turn-table, and means to gradually increase the frictional engagement between a packageand said belt when a packagev is being transferred from said-turn table to said belt. 4

13. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a package distributing device having pockets arranged at definite intervals for the reception of individual packages, means for operating said distributing device, an accelerating device cooperating with the distributing device and eflective to frictionally engage and remove packages from the pockets and graduall increase their speed, means cooperating wit the distributing device to control relative movement of packages by the accelerating device, and means for removing successive packages from the accelerating device.

14. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a turn-table having spaced members arranged to engage packages for moving them, a belt arranged to have frictional engagement with packages moved by the turn-table, means operating said belt at a higher progressive speed than the turn-table, and an adjustable device cooperating with the belt and turn-table to determine the extent of their effectiveness upon packages.

15. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a conveyor having pockets effective to advance packages at definite intervals, a second conveyor c'ooperating therewith to withdraw packages from the pockets, said second conveyor operating at a greater conveying speed than the first mentioned conveyor to efiect a gradual acceleration in the rate of travel of a package engaged thereby, and a spacing device cooperating with the second conveyor to position packages moving at the accelerated rate at definite intervals greater than the intervals of the said pockets.

16. In a machine of the class described,

-in combination a rotary distributing device, a rotary positioning device adapted to move packages along an arc of a circle,

a tangent to the path of the packages thereon.

18. In a machine of the class described, a mechanism adapted to move packages at a definite space interval, a distributing device to receive said packages from said mechanism and to increase said space interval, an accelerating device adapted to engage said packages while on said distributing device and adapted to increase the speed 'of said packages and to further increase the space interval therebetween.

MAX J AEGER. 

